HANCOCK COUNTY — New Palestine saved its best for just the right time.
The Dragons gymnastics team scored a season-best 104.550 points to finish second at the nine-team Connersville Sectional, Saturday. The top-three teams advance to the Columbus East Regional on Saturday, March 7, beginning at 1 p.m.
Richmond won the event with 107.7 points. New Castle scored 103.7 and picked up the final team spot. New Castle won the Bloomington North Invitational in February, a meet where the Dragons were fourth.
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The Dragons had scored 103.7 early in the season at the Valparaiso Invitational and were coming off a 103.4 performance in a victory on the team’s Senior Night, Feb. 25.
“I thought the girls did a really good job. They had an excellent meet,” New Palestine coach Deb Bruns said.
Leading the way was senior Grace Shanahan, who won the individual title on beam for the second time in three years. She was a sectional champion in the event in 2018. Her score on Saturday was 9.25. She was third on bars (8.8) and third in the all-around (35.9).
Sophomore Kennedy Garrett had two third-place finishes and was sixth overall. Garrett was just a couple of spots behind Shanahan on beam with a 9.0. She was third on floor, best of all the Dragons, with a 9.15. Her overall total was 34.375.
Floor exercise was New Palestine’s top event. Three gymnasts placed in the top six. Following Garrett, Shanahan was fifth (9.075) and junior Addie Halter placed sixth (8.975).
“I was asked (last week) what our best event would be and I said, ‘Floor.’ That fell true,” Bruns said. “We had great floor routines from all three girls.”
The Dragons’ score of 27.2 on floor was their best and tops of all teams at the sectional. Champion Richmond scored 26.975. New Palestine scored 26.4 on beam — second by just .5 to Richmond — 26.05 on vault and 24.9 on bars.
Junior Emma Poag led the Dragons on the vault with a team-best 8.925, placing fifth.
The top three in each event provided points for the team score. Shanahan was tied for eight on vault (8.775) and Garrett was 17th (8.35).
On bars, Shanahan was followed by a seventh-place finish from Poag (8.225) and 10th-place spot from Garrett (7.875). Halter was 10th on beam (8.150).
Poag placed 12th all-around with 31.875.
It was the second straight year, and the 10th time in the last 11, New Palestine has advanced the entire team to the regional. The Dragons were runners-up to Richmond and, like this past Saturday, finished one spot ahead of New Castle in 2019.
During that 11-year run, the Dragons won the sectional three times (2017, 2015, 2013) and were runners-up six times (2020, 2019, 2016, 2014, 2011, 2010). New Palestine earned the third and final team spot in 2012.
The top-six place winners in each event and in the all-around and top three teams at the upcoming regional will move on to the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals to be held March 14 at Worthen Arena, on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie.
Gymnasts can also advance to state by receiving the score of the sixth place gymnasts at the previous state finals meet (vault — 9.575; bars — 9.45; beam — 9.325; floor exercise — 9.525; all-around — 37.225).
